Stretching Praise

Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. (Psalm 50:14-15)

There is a form of praise that encourages believers to keep moving forward during difficult times. The thanksgiving mentioned here is not casual gratitude. The Hebrew word for it is todah. Todah means extending the hand, as if offering something back to God. It’s a stretching kind of praise, a gesture of acknowledgment and surrender. It can also signify confession and a sacrifice of praise. Todah is the praise you offer to God, even when you are in the middle of distress or before circumstances change. 

It is worship that relies on promise rather than evidence. Todah reaches into the future by faith and praises God for what you have not yet seen with your physical eyes. Todah is the declaration that God is trustworthy even when the situation remains unresolved.Todah is never meant to be praise that is hidden. It is intended to be expressed in front of others. Then comes the blessing for those who praise. God says, “Call upon Me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee.” 

Notice that the Lord didn’t say He would deliver you “if trouble comes.” He expects trouble to happen, and He plans for you to find victory on the other side of it.Todah prepares your heart to trust God’s nature, not to expect ease. When believers practice todah, they are no longer bound by circumstances. They become active participants in God’s deliverance process.

Practical Application

When facing a difficult situation, remember that God has been faithful in the past and reach into the future with todah praise, thanking God for what He has already planned and trusting that the answer is on its way.

Nehemiah 12:31; Jonah 2:9